---
title: Change the privacy of a channel
---

import {TabItem, Tabs} from "@astrojs/starlight/components";

import FlattenedSteps from "../../components/FlattenedSteps.astro";
import NavigationSteps from "../../components/NavigationSteps.astro";
import ZulipNote from "../../components/ZulipNote.astro";
import AutomatedNoticeChannelEvent from "../include/_AutomatedNoticeChannelEvent.mdx";
import ChannelPrivacyTypes from "../include/_ChannelPrivacyTypes.mdx";
import ChannelSettingsGeneralTabTip from "../include/_ChannelSettingsGeneralTabTip.mdx";
import ContentAccessDefinition from "../include/_ContentAccessDefinition.mdx";
import SaveChanges from "../include/_SaveChanges.mdx";
import SelectChannelViewGeneral from "../include/_SelectChannelViewGeneral.mdx";

<ChannelPrivacyTypes />

Organization administrators and [channel
administrators](/help/configure-who-can-administer-a-channel) can always make a
channel private. However, they can only make a private channel public or
web-public if they have content access to it:

<ContentAccessDefinition />

<ZulipNote>
  **Warning**: Be careful making a private channel public. All past messages
  will become accessible, even if the channel previously had protected history.
</ZulipNote>

<Tabs>
  <TabItem label="Desktop/Web">
    <FlattenedSteps>
      <NavigationSteps target="relative/channel/all" />

      1. Select a channel.

      <SelectChannelViewGeneral />

      1. Under **Channel permissions**, configure **Who can access the channel**.

      <SaveChanges />
    </FlattenedSteps>

    <ChannelSettingsGeneralTabTip />
  </TabItem>

  <TabItem label="Mobile">
    Access this feature by following the web app instructions in your
    mobile device browser.

    Implementation of this feature in the mobile app is tracked [on
    GitHub](https://github.com/zulip/zulip-flutter/issues/1102). If
    you're interested in this feature, please react to the issue's
    description with 👍.
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

<AutomatedNoticeChannelEvent />

## Related articles

* [Channel permissions](/help/channel-permissions)
* [Channel posting policy](/help/channel-posting-policy)
* [Configure who can administer a channel](/help/configure-who-can-administer-a-channel)
